Islam made nice

Religion | The mystical tradition of Sufism is thriving in the United States | Robert Carle

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Islam is a growing presence in American cities. In the past 15 years the number of mosques in New York City has increased from 20 to 140; nationwide, the estimated increase is from 1,000 to 2,000. Since Sept. 11, 2001, many mosques have been under almost continuous police surveillance, and justifiably so, given the angry proclamations of Wahhabi Sunni spokesmen. But few Americans are familiar with a brand of Islam called Sufism.

Masjid al Farah, the "Mosque of Divine Ease," is sandwiched between two bistros on West Broadway in downtown Manhattan. Worship at this mosque differs from the conventional Sunni or Shia variety with its straight lines of men. Every Thursday night devotees—black and white, male and female, Arab and South Asian—gather for a five-hour religious service that climaxes with a zikr, a joyous dance in which participants link hands, chant, and "whirl" themselves into a throbbing frenzy. All this takes place in a room with plush Persian carpets and brilliant white walls splashed with swirling black and gold Quranic script.